In our research, we found numerous examples of exposed healthcare systems and databases. This table contains a high-level summary and estimated metrics for the findings from this research to provide context for how hackers may perform similar activities.

Using simple search techniques and a basic understanding of healthcare technology solutions, IntSights researchers found that an estimated 30% of healthcare databases are openly exposed online. It's not only old or outdated databases that get breached, but also newly established platforms that are vulnerable due to misconfiguration and/or open access.

"Stepping into the shoes of an everyday hacker, our threat research team used a combination of openly available tools, knowledge of default port configurations and educated guessing to identify exposed healthcare databases and, ultimately, uncover over 1.5 million healthcare records without using any intrusive methods," said Ariel Ainhoren, Threat Researcher, IntSights. "The rate at which we could discover openly accessible PII and medical data is alarming, and should serve as a wakeup call to the healthcare industry that some of their most basic processes are riddled with vulnerability, often due to simple error, oversight and/or misconfiguration."

The research report also provides specific examples of exposed databases using a variety of search methods, and provides recommendations for how healthcare organizations can more effectively secure their data.

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